More Dramatic Testimony at Gomez Murder Trial – Not Known If Defendant Will Testify

Missoula County Sheriff’s Captain and Chief Deputy Coroner Bill Burt testified at the Emmanuel Gomez Murder Trial on Friday morning about the day that Charlie Ann Wyrick’s body was found near the Pattee Canyon Recreation area.

Prosecutor Jordan Kilby asked Burt to describe the position of the body, which was found at the bottom of a ravine just off a snow covered road om December 27, 2015.

“She was frozen in a position where I couldn’t, not only her, but her clothing, were frozen, making examination very difficult,” Burt said. “There was evidence of blood, or what appeared to be blood there, but I couldn’t do a good enough examination at the scene to determine where that blood had come from.”

Defense Attorney Brian Smith asked Burt to elaborate further on the position of Wyrick’s body when it was found by Missoula County Search and Rescue personnel.

“The resting position of her body to include her head and her legs,” Burt began. “Her legs and feet had bended backwards up over her buttocks, and were up in the air and frozen in that position. Her head, facing downhill, was cocked back and to the side. This would not have been a position that anybody would have remained in had they had the ability not to remain in that position.”

Judge Townsend asked prosecutor Kirsten Pabst if she was close to resting the State’s case, and Pabst responded that she had one more witness who would make a brief appearance. She then enquired of the defense team, Brian Smith and Lisa Kaufman about their plans to present witnesses, to which Smith replied he would be presenting a motion to dismiss immediately after the prosecution rested.

It is not known if Smith and Kaufman will allow Emmanuel Gomez to testify in his own defense.